1/4/13: On Walking With God

Enoch was the first guy in the Bible who went to Heaven without having to die to get there. Genesis 5:24 tells us that “Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him” (NKJ). The New Living Translation of the Bible explains that the phrase “and he was not” means that “one day he disappeared, because God took him.” Pretty awesome! The reason we are given for Enoch’s escape from physical death is the fact that he walked with God.

One chapter later, we read again of someone who “walked with God.” This time the person is Noah, but the result of Noah’s walking was quite different from that of Enoch’s. Genesis 6:9-14 says, “Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God… And God said to Noah, ‘The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopherwood…’” (NKJ). Enoch’s walking got him straight into Heaven; Noah’s walking got him a job.

The Hebrew word for walk, halak, is used in both Enoch’s and Noah’s stories. The word means “to be continually conversant.” Both men had such a close relationship with God, that He thought it noteworthy to mention it to us. God enjoys the time we spend being continually conversant with Him, and He rewards it. However, He also made it clear that the result of our walking will be different for each one of us.

As New Testament saints, God still expects us to walk with Him and walk in His ways. Ephesians 5:8 says, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (NKJ). The Greek word for walk, peripateo, means “to make one’s way, to progress; to make due use of opportunities.”

Are we walking “as children of light,” progressing as “children of light,” and making “due use of opportunities” to shine the light of the gospel wherever we go? If God were to write about you and me like He wrote about Enoch and Noah, could He say, “Sharon walked with God,” “James walked with God,” “Matthew walked with God,” “Saundra walked with God,” “Mark walked with God,” “ _____________(your name) walked with God”?

And pick up a copy of Sharon’s new book, Power Suit: The Armor of God Fit for the Feminine Frame, available at Christian bookstores, online, from New Hope Publishers, from the Life That Matters Ministries’ website, and now also available on Kindle!